Means for aging liquors



J. o. COFFMAN ET AL MEANS FOR AGEING LIQUORS Filed Feb. 16, 1935 Ema/Wm"Patented Nov. 24, 1 936 PATENT OFFICE 2,061,960 IMEANSQFOR AGINGLIQUORS James oqajoonma andflhafles F. comma.

v Sykesvllle, Pa.

Application February 16,4935, Serial No. 6,900 10mm. (01. 204-26) Thisinvention relates to means for aging wine, beer, whiskies, and otheralcoholic liquids and particularly to means for this purpose whichincludes subjecting the liquid to be aged to the 5 action of an electriccurrent.

- The object of our invention is to provide simple and cheaply operatedmeans whereby liquors (such as wine, beer and whisky) may beartificially aged in from six to twenty-four hours, as against the yearsrequired for the natural aging of the liquor.

A further object is to provide means for this purpose by whichordinaryhouse current at 110 volts may be used and stepped up to 2400volts or more. a

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing whereinz- Thefigure is a diagrammatic view of the mechanism used for our purpose.

In this figure, I designates a tub or vessel within which the liquor tobe aged is disposed. ll designates the ordinary connection, such as a,plug and socket connection to the usual house lighting wires Ila,carrying 110 volt current. The plug is connected to the lead wires H,which in turn lead-to the primary coil l3 of a step-. down transformer,designated generally l4.

The secondary coil of the transformer is designated l5 and thissecondary coil is connected at its ends by the wires l6 and I! to avibrator cell, the primary of which is designated I8. I

This primary is connected to the vibrator spring 19 normally bearingagainst the usual contact 20 connected to the wire H. The secondarysecondary coil is the magnetic core 22 which is associated with thearmature l9. From the ends of this secondary coil extend the wires 23and 24, the wire 23 being connected to a soft iron coil or like element25, disposed within the tank 10, containing the liquor to be aged. Theterminal 26 connected to the wire 24 may be immersed in the liquidcontained within the tank l0 or, if the tank l0 be a metallic tank, thewire 24 may be connected directly to this tank.

In the operation of this invention, the transformer l4 steps down thecurrent from 110 volts to 8 volts and this is used to create a hightension current of 2400 volts which is discharged into the liquid withinthe tank.

We have found by actual experience and tests that by passing a. hightension current of this coil is designated 2| and extending through thecharacter through the liquor to be aged that it will be given all thequalities of a naturally aged liquor in from six to twenty-four hours.

While we have stated that the high tension current is one of 2400 volts,it will be understood that by properly winding the vibrator coil thatthe current discharged into the liquid in the vat or tank may be muchmore than 2400 volts. We find that by passing a current of thischaracter through the liquor, that the liquor is cleared, smoothed andthe taste improved to the extent that after from six to twenty-fourhours of "aging the liquor, the liquor so artiflcally aged is diflicultto detect from liquor which has been aging from ten to twelve years.

The larger the vessel l0 used, the greater the amount of voltage will benecessary to be used.

It will be understood, of course, that it is necessary to step down thevoltage from the source ll so as not to burn out the vibrator coil. It,therefore, becomes necessary to first step down the voltage to theamount that the vibrator coil is built to take.

We again reiterate that we do not wish to be limited to the amount ofvoltage in the high tension current passing through the liquor from thecoil 25 to the terminal 26. The length of time for aging depends largelyupon the amount of voltage passed through the liquor but in actualpractice, we have found that with a 20-volt transformer and a 20-voltvibrator coil, a gallon of very raw whiskey can be aged in one andonehalf hours.

We claim:

A mechanism for aging liquors, including a tank, a source of current, astep-down transformer having a primary and a secondary coil, a vibratorcoil having a primary and a secondary, the primary of the vibrator coilbeing connected to the secondary of the transformer coil, the secondaryof ,the vibrator coil having terminal conductors, one of these terminalconductors being adapted to be immersed in the liquid in the tank, oneof said conductors being of soft iron and being coiled, the coiledportion extending through a large part of the liquor in the tank andbecause of its coiled condition presenting a large surface to saidliquor.

. JAIVIES O. COFFMAN.

.CHAS. F. COFFMAN.

